Wouldn't this allow you to maximize your happiness by taking into account what you learned as you try different careers?
Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
1–10 of 24 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#2[dead]
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#3You go down to the bottom of the pay scale every time you change career. If that means you won’t be able to afford your current lifestyle, then unless you have a good reason for walking away from that career, that’s going to make you unhappy.
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#4I agree. I actually think self-employment / mass self-employment, with the augmentation of tools is the future. Traditional corporate employment is starting to turn sour.
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#5I think it isn't super uncommon. Software engineering is my second career, and unlikely to be my last. Probably 30% of my co-workers had a non tech career before getting where they are.
In my career transition I learned and grew a lot, and it helped give me a different perspective on some problems.
I do wonder if people changed their careers every 10-15 years if they would be happier. You would get to work on a whole different set of problems, you would get to learn new skills, and eventually demonstrate your mastery over those new skills.
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#6I don't think i could call them career, but i tried 4 jobs that have nothing in common.
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#7At any given point people are more likely to offer you more $$ for accumulated skills rather than pay you while you learn those new skills.
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#8Cute, how are you going to finance this?
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#9At any given point people are more likely to offer you more $$ for accumulated skills rather than pay you while you learn those new skills.
At the same time many people stop improving after the first few years on the job, and some even get worse with time as they get lazy, or bitter, or they simply don’t adapt.
Re: Ask HN: Why isn't having two or three careers the norm?
#10Looks at resume
Well for starters I was in grocery right out of college as a junior buyer for a major chain that I enjoyed enough but after a bit…
Was curious about digital marketing so I got a small company to take a chance on me where I rose through the ranks at companies big and small until I was in middle management and then…
I got an idea for a business so I started one that ran for 4-5 years before I ran out of steam and then…
I joined a semi-large corp in tech and product and did that for a while but…
My wife took on a super demanding new role and is now making enough to support our family so I’m a fresh stay at home dad.
I’ve got plans for what’s next but it’ll require some more school so once my kids are both in elementary school I’ll be going back to grad school to work in clinical mental health.
Has it all been worth it? Maybe, maybe not. But variety is the spice of life so here we are.